Virtual Walks in Exotic Locales

Take a 60 minute Virtual Walk through four different locales in Egypt and 4,000 years of history! You'll visit the Pyramids, the Temple at Philae, Temple of Isis at Edfu, and the famous bazaar at Khan el Khalili in Cairo.

Click on photo at left to watch clips from this video. DVD $12.95 - Download $6.99

Your 60 minute Exotic Istanbul Virtual Walk includes walks to the Galata Bridge, the Spice Market, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the First Courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, the courtyard of the New Mosque, and through the Grand Bazaar.

Click on photo at left to watch clips from this video. DVD $12.95 - Download $6.99

Your treadmill can transport you to exotic locations in Egypt, Turkey, the Greek Isles, Bermuda, and the Caribbean!

If you love exotic locales and incredible scenery, then you'll love taking one of our virtual walks through these locations:

EGYPT:

Volume 1 of your 60 minute Your walk begins on the Giza Plateau, outside of Cairo, at the Pyramids, counted among the largest structures ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence. The Giza pyramid complex has been a popular tourist destination since antiquity, and was popularized in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Your walk takes you around two sides of the Great Pyramid, built as a tomb for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. On your walk, you get close enough to the ancient blocks of stone to almost touch them. And, as your walk continues, you pass other visitors and Egyptians on camels.

Next the 60 minute walk takes you to the Temple of Philae which was originally located near the expansive First Cataract of the Nile in Upper Egypt and was the site of an Egyptian temple complex. These rapids and the surrounding area have been variously flooded since the initial construction of the Aswan Low Dam in 1902. The temple complex was later dismantled and relocated to nearby Agilkia Island as part of the UNESCO Nubia Campaign project, protecting this and other complexes before the 1970 completion of the Aswan High Dam. Since Philae was said to be one of the burying-places of Osiris, it was held in high reverence both by the Egyptians to the north and the Nubians to the south. It was deemed profane for any but priests to dwell there and was accordingly sequestered and denominated "the Unapproachable" It was reported too that neither birds flew over it nor fish approached its shores.

Next, your walk takes you to Edfu and the Temple of Horus, one of the best preserved shrines in Egypt. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BC. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Greco-Roman period in ancient Egypt. In particular, the Temple's inscribed building texts "provide details [both] of its construction, and also preserve information about the mythical interpretation of this and all other temples as the Island of Creation." There are also "important scenes and inscriptions of the Sacred Drama which related the age-old conflict between Horus and Seth. Of all the temples that still exist in Egypt, the Temple of Horus is the most completely preserved.

Your walk thoroughly explores this amazing temple. From the statue of Horus that greets visitors at the entrance, to the well preserved hieroglyphics that cover the walls, you see this ancient temple "up close and personal." The present temple, which was begun "on 23 August 237 BC, initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a baroque sanctuary surrounded by chapels." The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII.

The last section of this 60 minute virtual walk takes you to the famous bazaar at Khan el Khalili, a major souk in the historic center of Islamic Cairo. The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. The Khan el-Khalili today is mainly occupied by Egyptian rather than foreign merchants and shopholders, but is significantly geared towards tourists. Shops typically sell souvenirs, antiques and jewellery, but many traditional workshops continue to operate in the surrounding area and the adjoining goldsmiths' souk, for example, is still important for locals. As you make your way through the throng of Egyptian shoppers, you'll experience all the sights and sounds just as if you were actually walking in this timeless marketplace. Your Volume 1 Virtual Walk ends in a quiet side alleyway of the bazaar. Volume 2 of the Egypt Virtual Walk will be released soon.

ISTANBUL:

The Exotic Istanbul Virtual Walk begins on the north side of the Galata Bridge, looking toward the Golden Horn. After crossing the Galata Bridge, the viewer enters into the Eminonu Pier area, and stops briefly to admire the traditional Turkish boats awaiting passengers.

Then after crossing the busy street, you enter the Spice Market, one of the largest bazaars in the city with a total of 85 shops selling spices, Turkish delight and other sweets, jewellery, souvenirs, and dried fruits and nuts. Then it's up a steep market street alive with the hustle and bustle of men with over-loaded carts making their way up and down the hill. The walk next takes you into the courtyard of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque which is also known as the Blue Mosque, constructed between 1609 and 1616.

A popular tourist site, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque continues to function as a mosque today; men still kneel in prayer on the mosque's lush red carpet after the call to prayer. Next, walking through a crowded park, you stop to admire a fountain with a view of Hagia Sophia in the distance. Hagia Sophia was a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque, and is now a museum.

Next the walk takes you past street vendors and past the elaborate fountain kiosk of Sultan Ahmed III, then through the Imperial Gate and into the First Courtyard of the Topkapi Place which was the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans in the 15th century. The next section of your walk takes you into the courtyard of the New Mosque, an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul. It is situated on the Golden Horn, at the southern end of the Galata Bridge, and is one of the famous architectural landmarks of Istanbul. You next enter into a wide modern pedestrian only shopping district followed by more traditional Turkish stalls displaying their wares.

Next you enter one of the most famous sites in Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world. As you make your way through the Grand Bazaar, you have to dodge, weave in and out, and maneuver in order to make your way through the locals and tourists.

Leaving the Grand Bazaar after a 10 minute visit, you enter a tranquil park before heading downhill and onto a busy street as you again dodge one of the modern Istanbul trams that service the city. As the afternoon comes to an end, you can see two mosques in the distance as you leave the city center and your one hour Exotic Istanbul Virtual Walk ends next to the Galata Bridge.

ISLAND OF RHODES:

Your 60 minute Virtual Walk begins beside the Kolona Harbour on the island Rhodes, once the site of the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the Greek titan-god of the sun Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name, by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus, whose son unsuccessfully besieged Rhodes in 305 BC. According to most contemporary descriptions, the Colossus stood approximately 70 cubits, or 108 feet high — the approximate height of the modern Statue of Liberty from feet to crown — making it the tallest statue of the ancient world. It was destroyed during the earthquake of 226 BC, and never rebuilt.

Your early morning walk follows the east wall of the medieval city of Rhodes as it curves around the harbor. You enter the old town of Rhodes by passing through the Marine Gate, constructed in 1478 under the auspices of Grand Master Pierre d’ Aubusson and one of 11 gates to the city and today is the main entrance to the town from the harbour. Turning left after passing through the gate, you enter Platia Ippokratous, the most important square in the center of Rhodes town. In the center of the square stands the "Castellania fountain" also called "Ippokratous Fountain" with an owl on the top. Further on, we pass through the Square of the Jewish Martyrs where the Jewish quarter used to be and its Hippocampus fountain.

It's early in the old town of Rhodes, around 9 A.M., and shop owners are setting up for the tourists to come. In a few hours, these streets will be bustling with tourists from cruise ships visiting the Greek Isles, but for now, at least, you appear to have the medieval town to yourself. These old streets have so much character - and so many details to see and if only you could remove the mopeds and plastic crate, you could easily imagine you're back in medieval times.

Rhodes has been the setting for numerous TV episodes and movies such as "The Guns of Navarone," "Boy on a Dolphin," "Escape to Athena," and "Surprise Package."

Your Rhodes walk next takes you to and through the Gate of Saint Athanasiou, which was built between 1441 and 1442. It is also known to locals as Saint Francis Gate since the church of Saint Francis of Assisi, built by the Italians, is just outside the gate. The round tower of Saint Mary that controlled the entrance to the gate was built in 1441 by the Grand Master Jean de Lastic.
According to the Turkish tradition the troops of the conqueror Suleiman the Magnificent entered Rhodes through this gate. The gate was closed by the sultan who wished to avoid that any other conqueror could pass after him. Probably the door was closed by the Hospitallers for security reasons. It was re-opened by the Italians in 1922 during the 400th anniversary of the conquest of Rhodes by the Ottomans. Once through the gate, we have to dodge motorbikes with their riders hurrying through the narrow streets.

Then you walk through more quaint Rhodes back streets before entering a street with rooftop restaurants, outdoor cafes, and shops. Now, Rhodes is coming to life with tourists from the cruise ships in its harbor. The scenery on this walk is certainly varied; one minute you're walking past shops with tourists looking at postcards and the next minute you're walking through a tree lined medieval street. One minute, you pass under an ancient arch, the next minute, you're walking along a shady shopping area.

You pass so many sidewalk cafes, you want to pause for some Pitaroudia, a traditional dish from Rhodes and the Dodecanese. Again, you find yourself walking in a tourist area with its shops and you turn into a quiet back street with a different kind of Greek charm. The last section of your 60 minute Rhodes Virtual Walk begins in another scenic and timeless back street. The warm Mediterranean sun falling on the rich old stones creates a unique setting. As your walk continues through these old backstreets, you can understand why Rhodes is considered one of the
best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, which in 1988 was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After descending some old stone stairs, your walk continues in the dry moat around the walls of the old city of Rhodes. You can't help but be amazed at the human effort that went into the construction of these old fortifications. Your one hour Rhodes Virtual Walk ends with a view of the ancient wall and, in the distance, the Mediterranean.

CARIBBEAN:

The Nature Virtual Walk begins in a lush, green valley on Roatan, a tropical island in Honduras. You pass a variety of native tropical plants, areca palms, ginger plants, fishtale palms, orchids, and bromeliads. Today, Roatan has become a popular eco-tourism destination in Honduras. One can't help but enjoy the lush plant life on the island. Soon the path becomes steep and narrow and your climb up the mountain becomes more difficult.

The path is so steep, there are numerous switchbacks to manage and remember, this is not a manicured tropical garden, you see it just as it exists in Nature with new fronds green and alive and older fronds, brown and returning to the earth to nourish new plants, in Nature's never-ending cycle. And the narrow path leads ever higher and higher until you reach the summit and pause to take in its spectacular view of Anthony's Key. Continuing on along the ridgeline, you pass through a magnificent palm allée that extends on and on, until you begin your trek down the mountainside, this time following a different path.

You eventually arrive at the lush valley floor filled with its variety of tropical flora. The second half of your Caribbean Nature Walk begins in Mexico in a reconstructed Mayan village with winding paths and replica statuary alongside native tropical plants you feel as if you are a thousand years back in time and walking in an authentic Mayan Village and viewing numerous Mayan replica sculptures. Leaving the reconstructed Mayan Village you enter another tropical foliage area with even more palms to admire. Your 52 minute Caribbean Nature Walk ends on a tropical Mexican beach at the water's edge.

BERMUDA:

Your 60 minute Bermuda Virtual Walk begins at Barr's Bay Park next to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. You turn and walk along the waterfront before turning and walking up stairs to
briefly walk along Pitts Bay Road. You turn and walk up more stairs and enter Queen Elizabeth Park. Formerly known as Par-La-Ville park, it's considered a premier park and a recreational area within Hamilton City. This is often a favorite place for the office goers or even school children for taking lunch.

Leaving Queen Elizabeth Park, you next enter Victoria Park which covers a full block between Victoria Street, Cedar Street, Washington Street and Dundonald Street. The Band Stand was erected in 1899. During the British time, the regimental bands used to play here. The main features are the sunken garden, lawns, and flower beds in the traditional English style.

Next your walk takes you to the St. George's Club in St. George. Beginning here you walk down Rose Hill Street to Pennos Drive and on towards St. George's waterfront. Then after walking along the waterfront briefly you turn on to Water Street before turning to enter the Tavern By The Sea then on past some more beautiful waterfront scenery.

Next you turn and enter King's Square, the main center of the historic town of St. George and turn again and cross a bridge to a small island before pausing to take a look at the replica ship Deliverance. Next you tour some of St. George's interesting and picturesque back streets and alleyways. This is the "real" Bermuda, tropical plants, pastel homes and something "interesting" to see around every corner. It seems that, in Bermuda at least, all roads lead to the waterfront.

Once again, you find yourself walking on more attractive streets and alleyways before entering the grounds of St. Peter's Church, said to be the oldest continuously used Anglican church in the Western hemisphere. Then on to another quaint alleyway before entering the "Unfinished Church" in St. George, an elegant shell built in the 1870s whose construction was never completed.

Then onto another tropical alleyway towards and into Somers Garden, named after Admiral Sir George Somers a tropical oasis in St. George with ti plants and beautiful walkways. For the final section of your one-hour Bermuda Walk you return to the city of Hamilton and to the grounds of Fort Hamilton. After enjoying some of Fort Hamilton's beautiful landscaped grounds, you descend some stairs and discover that the old moat around the fort has been turned into a tropical garden with tropical plants of every description thriving in this lush sunken garden. A winding path through tropical plants with stands of banyan and bamboo trees.

After a thorough walk through the moat's tropical garden you ascend stairs and admire more flowers before your 60 minute Bermuda Walk ends with a stunning view of the harbor.

Whether you use these Virtual Walks to make the time spent exercising on your treadmill FUN, or use them as a way of "relaxing" after a hard workday, you'll delight in the amazing scenery and vitality captured in these DVDs and HD Downloads.

Customers tell us again and again, that these virtual walk videos actually make the time spent exercising on their treadmills, ellipticals, or Nordic Tracks, "fly by!" They tell us they exercise longer and enjoy every minute! One of our Amazon customers recently posted this review, "These folks that make these DVDs do such a great job that I feel I am actually there! I can't wait to get the next DVD that they make. I am never disappointed."

Another customer wrote: "This video is a great escape into nature....the only sounds you hear are the (mostly) birds that happen to be in the vicinity as the footage is being shot. Although the camera is usually aimed straight ahead, stops are made with the camera panning to one side or another so that you can stop and enjoy the scenery. The video is smooth...and I really can't figure out why there weren't some wobbles as the photographer navigated a few really skinny boardwalks or some shaky looking stepping stones....if I'd been the photographer, I'm pretty sure I'd have been looking down the whole time to make sure I didn't fall. The pace of the walk is listed as being about 3 mph. and I'd say that's pretty accurate....I walk at 4 mph. and it was a bit slower than what I would have been doing on an exercise walk. I bought this to use on my stationary bike, though, and not a treadmill, so the speed didn't matter at all to me.
I love that there was no additional sound with this video....I like to listen to only what Mother Nature has to offer when I'm outside. If you, on the other hand, prefer music or whatever on your walks, you could easily play whatever you wish without interfering with what's on the video or having your choice interfered with by the video sounds (of course, there's the mute button if you so desire).I can also see me using this versatile video as a relaxation tool....with or without additional relaxation music....from the vantage point of a comfy chair.I bought a bunch of videos from these folks and am looking forward to watching the others (this was my first)."

So if you love exotic locales in all their splendor and variety, then pick out a location and order either a DVD or a High Def Download today. Tomorrow you could be taking a treadmill virtual walk in Egypt, Turkey, the Greek Isles, the Caribbean, or Bermuda. So much history and beauty here, waiting for you to experience while you exercise!